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Summit Therapeutics announces that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), an agency of the US government's Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, has awarded Summit a contract worth up to $62m.

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The funds will support the clinical and regulatory development of ridinilazole for the treatment of CDI, including Summit’s planned Phase 3 development program.

Ridinilazole is a highly selective, novel class antibiotic aimed at both treating the initial infection and reducing recurrent disease, which is the key clinical issue in the treatment of CDI.

In a Phase 2 proof of concept clinical trial conducted in North America, ridinilazole was shown to be highly preserving of the microbiome of patients compared with the standard of care, vancomycin, and achieved a substantial reduction in rates of recurrent disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted C. difficile as one of three pathogens that pose an immediate public health threat. The economic impact of CDI is significant with one study estimating annual acute care costs at $4.8 billion in the United States.

“CDI is a serious public health threat that is a significant burden on the US population, and BARDA has committed to the development of innovative treatments capable of addressing all aspects of this serious illness, including recurrent disease. BARDA’s selection of ridinilazole for an award is testament to ridinilazole’s promising clinical and preclinical data package that indicate its potential as a front-line treatment of CDI that could reduce recurrent disease,” commented Glyn Edwards, Chief Executive Officer of Summit.

“This non-dilutive funding award begins to deliver on our strategy of maximizing the value of ridinilazole for patients with CDI, Summit and our shareholders, and we look forward to initiating the Phase 3 clinical program of ridinilazole.”

The BARDA contract provides for a cost-sharing arrangement under which BARDA would fund a specified portion of estimated costs for specified activities related to the continued clinical and regulatory development of ridinilazole for CDI.

Under the terms of the contract, Summit is initially eligible to receive from BARDA $32 million to fund, in part, obtaining regulatory approval for and commencing enrollment and dosing into Summit’s two planned Phase 3 clinical trials of ridinilazole.

In addition, Summit is eligible for additional funding under the contract pursuant to three independent option work segments, which may be exercised by BARDA in its sole discretion upon the achievement of certain development and other milestones for ridinilazole. If the three option work segments are exercised in full, Summit would be eligible for an additional $30 million from BARDA.

Activities in these three option work segments include the completion of enrollment and treatment in the two planned Phase 3 clinical trials and other activities related to the preparation for the potential submission of application for marketing approval for ridinilazole in the United States.

With this contract award, Summit remains on track to initiate two Phase 3 clinical trials of ridinilazole for CDI in the first half of 2018.

The Company continues to explore various funding options for completion of its Phase 3 clinical development program, with these including entering into a collaboration with a third party, equity financing or securing additional non-dilutive funding from government entities and philanthropic, non-government and not for profit organizations.

This project will be funded in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. HHSO100201600002C.